Activists targeting a portion of a new state law automatically linking future hikes in the gas tax to increases in the rate of inflation say they've submitted more than the required number of signatures needed to put the question on next year's ballot.

The group said they submitted about 100,000 signatures by Wednesday's deadline, but were waiting to make sure enough of those signatures were certified before declaring victory.

The gas tax jumped 3 cents earlier this year, from 21 cents per gallon to 24 cents, under a transportation financing law pushed by Massachusetts House and Senate Democrats and signed by Gov. Deval Patrick.

The ballot question would leave the 3 cent hike in place, but nix the automatic future hikes.